ZICKY

A boy who battles diabolical rats in his dreams must thwart a real-world invasion in Cape’s graphic novel for young readers.

In 4-year-old Zicky’s dreams, he wields a sword against the Rat King and his army; before sunrise, he uses a special ring to open a portal and make it back in time for breakfast with his family. In the real world, Zicky is smaller, his sword is wooden, and his ring is his binky. The rats would like nothing more than to invade Zicky’s world, mostly to get at its cheese. They go after his ring, and when Zooky, Zicky’s lookalike archnemesis, gets his hands on it, he takes Zicky captive and jumps through the portal. All Zicky’s family sees is Zicky, although his replacement is decidedly more sullen and secretly cavorts with rats. Zicky looks for a way to escape the dreamworld and get back home. An unlikely ally may be able to help him stop the rats’ widespread cheese thievery and whatever scheme Zooky is cooking up. Cape’s story is endlessly entertaining, particularly in its use of the dual worlds. The dreamworld resembles an anime (there’s impossibly spiky hair and action relayed via onomatopoeia); in the real world, Zicky’s biggest trouble seems to be his mean older brother. Decrux and Gabotto’s vibrant illustrations wonderfully combine gleefully exaggerated action sequences with nuanced touches, most notably Zicky’s perpetual bedhead and missing teeth. Comedy reigns throughout; Zicky is sassy even in captivity (“Rats are so gullible”), and the apathetic Zooky playing in Zicky’s soccer match is a highlight. The supporting cast is equally memorable, including Zicky’s homemaker father, his doting mother, and Zooky’s snarling dog, Damien, who, like everyone else, looks completely different in the real world. Whether the narrative plays out entirely or partially in Zicky’s imagination isn’t fully clarified until later in the book, leaving room for this plucky, down-to-earth boy to continue trouncing evil.

Delightful and rib-tickling comic-book adventures with an adorable young hero.